


Copper, Tellurium, Bromine, Osmium (CuTe BrOs)

by Aequoria



Series: Zines and Events [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Bad Laboratory Safety, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Good Laboratory Practice, High School, Insomnia High, Lab Partners, M/M, Science, Zine: Insomnia High
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-20
Updated: 2019-11-20
Packaged: 2021-02-16 09:10:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21505432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aequoria/pseuds/Aequoria
Summary: Life is hard when you’re a teenager struggling not to set things on fire in science class, especially when you start falling for your lab partner.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: Zines and Events [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618480
Comments: 6
Kudos: 66





	Copper, Tellurium, Bromine, Osmium (CuTe BrOs)

**Author's Note:**

> My piece for Insomnia High zine! This was such a pleasure to work on, both because the Insomnia High people are amazingly talented and fun, and because science class was legit my favourite thing in high school. Every mishap in this fic is a true story 😂

(Art by the incredible [@shonocondo](https://twitter.com/shonocondo/status/1197327460649406464?s=21))

At first, partnering up for science class had seemed like a great idea. Prompto likes hanging out with Noctis, Noctis likes hanging out with Prompto, the teacher asks the class to pick a lab partner for the year— it’s not hard to do the maths.

It’s funny how quickly things go downhill from there.

Prompto peers at their setup, frowning. “Hey, I don’t think this is right.”

Noctis taps the test tube rack. “I definitely did it right,” he says. “I think.”

Prompto squints, and quickly checks their other classmates’ setups. Everything looks fine, so he puts it out of his mind. “Okay.”

“Great. Could you grab us a flask?”

“Sure thing!” Prompto bends down and opens the cabinet under the table, rummaging around blindly until his hands close around the glass neck of a flask. He pulls it out and looks at it, delighted at the round shape. “Oh my gosh, this one is so cute! Like a little ball!”

Noctis glances away from where he’s pouring acid into the measuring cylinder. “Nice.”

“I feel like a real scientist,” Prompto says, holding up the flask and doing his best impression of Ignis Scientia, the most intelligent person he knows. “At last, my experiment is complete! With this in my hand, I shall conquer the world!”

“Dork,” Noctis says fondly. “I thought you said _real_ scientist, not _mad_ scientist.”

“Oh yeah— hey, Noct, watch the acid!”

Noctis yelps at the warning and shoves the acid aside. There’s more in the measuring cylinder than there should be, and he looks at it in annoyance. “Think we can just put it back in the thing, or would that contaminate it?”

“Down the sink?” Prompto suggests. “Wait, we’re not supposed to do that... you could put it in the flask and just like, double the other stuff?”

“Okay,” Noctis says, as though it isn’t a bad idea. He pours the acid into the little round flask Prompto holds up. “So it says we need a vial, have we got any vials?”

“I’ll check.” Prompto sets the round flask down on the table and ducks down to search the cabinet.

This is not their first mistake, but it’s the most important one.

“Watch out!” Noctis shouts, and Prompto jerks backwards just in time for a waterfall of acid to come down close to his face. The overfilled round-bottom flask continues rolling on the surface of the table, spreading its contents everywhere.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!” Prompto grabs a bunch of paper towels and makes to mop up the spill, but is interrupted by the teacher’s shout.

“Argentum, get back!”

He scrambles to obey and the teacher flings some sort of white powder over the spills. All of their classmates just stare.

For a moment, there is only blessed silence. 

“Right,” the teacher says. “The acid wouldn’t have burnt you, but I can’t take any chances so I’ve put a base on it to somewhat neutralize its effects. Mr Argentum, Your Highness, go observe Miss Ericordia and Miss Caritas, and then see me after class.”

Still in shock, Noctis and Prompto shuffle over to another table to do as they’re told.

  
“Oh man,” Prompto whispers eventually. His hands cover his face and his shoulders shake with panicked giggles. “I— I really _noct_ it over.”

“ _Nerd_.”

* * *

The next incident happens within a week, and is considerably more spectacular.

“I can’t get this stupid thing to work,” Noctis had said, only a minute before all hell had broken loose. He had leaned closer to the Bunsen burner, fiddling with the base. The flame was tiny and yellow, miles away from the steady blue they needed it to be.

Even Prompto could tell how it was going to end.

“Noct, look out!” 

The little yellow flame flared into a fireball.

Now, the classroom is full of yelling teenagers and a shocked prince all the way on the other side of the room, still glowing faintly blue from when he’d warped out of the way. The tips of his fringe are smoking, and the whole place smells like burnt hair and gel.

Prompto turns off the gas supply to the Bunsen burner and dashes over to his friend.

“Are you okay?” he asks, grabbing Noctis by the shoulders. “Did you get hurt?”

Noctis blinks at him and shakes his head. “Nah,” he says. His voice is kind of weak. He clears his throat and tries again. “Just surprised.”

Prompto sighs, loosening his hold on his friend. He’s not sure what he would have done if Noctis had gotten hurt. “Oh, that’s good. It just got your bangs then.”

“My _what_?!” Noctis reaches up to touch his hair, and the now non-existent fringe he had just gotten to grow out. “It’s gone!”

“Totally gone.”

“My hair! I’m gonna look like a doofus!”

“Rest in pieces.”

“Not funny, Prompto!” Noctis wails, and Prompto finally takes pity on him.

“Don’t worry. You’re still my handsome prince,” he says with a wink. 

As confident as he sounds, his stomach still flutters with nerves, and he hopes Noctis can’t really tell just how much Prompto means it.

_Bad idea, bad idea_ , he thinks frantically. _Please don’t say I’m weird!_

But he’s in luck. Instead of the rejection he expects, Noctis’ face turns so red that Prompto wonders if he hadn’t gotten burnt after all. 

* * *

  
  


“Today we’re going to be handling fire again,” the teacher says. She levels a piercing look towards Noctis and Prompto. “So be careful.”

They gulp simultaneously. 

They know how to use a Bunsen burner now, though. Prompto is fairly confident that nothing will happen, but he still reads through the experiment instructions three times.

It goes well for the most part. They learn how to sterilize the mouths of vials and glass Petri plates, and they even get to try streaking one of the plates with ‘bacteria’ made of coloured ink. It’s not the real thing— Prompto’s seen the equipment the older students are allowed to use, and the tubes of actual bacterial cultures in the locked fridges. What they’re doing now isn’t even _close_ to being properly sterile either, but it makes him smile to think he’s doing some real science.

Maybe one day, he’ll be such a pro at lab work that he’ll be doing this in his sleep.

“I’ve broken the agar,” Noctis says, frowning. His metal loop had broken straight through the fragile jelly in the plate.

Prompto looks at his own perfectly-streaked plate with pride. “You just gotta be super gentle,” he explains. “Here, I can help you try again.”

For someone who doesn’t like being touched, Noctis is a lot more lenient when it comes to Prompto. He takes Noctis’ right hand in his; the nitrile gloves between them feel strange, but the warmth that he knows so well is still there underneath. Gently, he helps Noctis skim the loop along the surface of the agar in neat strokes.

“Turn it a little, then do it again,” he whispers, and he swears Noctis shivers. “Then one more time— and done!”

“Hey, I did it!” Noctis looks so proud. Prompto feels the strangest urge to kiss the smile on his face, but that wouldn’t end well. Noctis is a prince, and besides. He wouldn’t be interested in Prompto that way.

“Good work, buddy,” he says instead. He lets go of Noctis’ hand and moves away.

But Noctis doesn’t stay still like expected. Instead, his hand jerks, as if reaching for Prompto—

Only to knock down the Bunsen burner between them. They stare in horror as flames begin to lick at Prompto’s sleeve.

The fire alarms start to ring, and Prompto—

Prompto _screams_.

“No!” Noctis yells, wild-eyed and panicked. Without even thinking, he grips the fabric of Prompto’s lab coat and _rips_ it apart, flinging it to the floor in a burning heap.

The teacher runs in with a fire extinguisher, and quickly puts the fire out before it could spread too far. 

Belatedly, the sprinkler systems turn on. 

“Right,” the teacher says. She sounds exhausted. “Evacuate in an orderly manner. Leave your things. The fire might be out but we still need to assemble with the rest of the school.”

Silently, everyone nods, and starts to file out of the lab.

When they’re the last ones left, Prompto grabs Noct’s sleeve. He looks like a drowned rat.

“Thanks,” he says softly. “That could’ve been so much worse.”

“Don’t even say that. I don’t wanna think about it,” Noctis says with a shudder. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks to you. My hero,” Prompto teases. A smile pulls at his lips, and he wraps his arms around Noctis is a tight hug. 

Despite everything, Noctis has never looked prouder.

* * *

  
  


“I need to speak with you both,” Ignis says.

Without a word, Noctis pauses the game. By now, even Prompto knows when Ignis can and can't be ignored. The tone of his voice says this is one of the latter occasions.

“As your primary contacts, Gladio and I received some phone calls from your school this morning, Noct. They asked me to pass on a message to your father, and I suspect Gladio’s call was similar.”

Ignis kneels down to where they are sitting cross-legged on the floor. Gently, he takes Prompto’s left arm, and examines it closely.

With a sick feeling of dread, Prompto realises what this is about.

“It was an accident,” Prompto blurts out. “I’m fine, I swear, not even a mark!”

“You were in _danger_ ,” Ignis says, and his voice sounds strangled and strange. “You could have been _seriously_ hurt.”

“But I’m okay,” Prompto protests. “Nothing ha—”

“Prom.”

Sometimes, Noctis has a way of commanding a room. Ignis and Prompto fall silent, listening.

“He’s right.” Noctis looks pained as he admits it. “That really shouldn’t have happened.”

“I’ve been told that a number of careless accidents have occurred in your class. Normally, they would separate you two, but the faculty are aware of your closeness and…” Ignis looks unimpressed. “Noct is, of course, given special consideration. But they _will_ separate you both if this continues, and if that does not work, they will need to speak with you about remedial classes. Neither of you can have that on your records— for your reputation, Noct, and for Prompto’s scholarship.”

They nod.

“I understand,” Prompto whispers.

“Noctis. Prompto. Working together isn’t just a matter of picking your friends, but you have to take it seriously when it counts— like keeping grades up, or keeping each other safe.” 

“We’ll get better,” Noctis says.

Ignis smiles. The genuine sympathy in his expression hurts.

“See to it that you do. I believe in you.”

* * *

  
  


“Hair tied back?”

“Check. Safety goggles and gloves on?”

“Check! No open footwear or short trousers?”

“Check. I don’t know why anyone would be wearing shorts and sandals to science class anyway.”

“I don’t want to die in this class, Noct!” Prompto cries. “If I wanna check I’m gonna check! Let me have this.”

“You’re not going to die,” Noctis says. “You know I wouldn’t let you.”

Prompto opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. He closes it again, a pretty pink forming on his cheeks.

They go through each step of the experiment slowly. Prompto is so aware of the brush of Noctis against his side, the careful way they dance around each other. 

There’s a tension between them now, like a coil pulled taut. Prompto imagines it snapping, and the sharp, broken metal edges hurtling towards them from the force of the separation.

He won’t let that happen. He can’t.

It’s just one class out of many, but it’s the only one that lets him be equals with Noct in this way. It’s the only one where Noctis _relies_ on him, where Prompto can keep him safe and earn that place by his side. These little moments they share— Noctis’ soft voice reading out their task, their mingling breaths when they lean over a microscope slide— Prompto lives for them.

So he takes his time. Everything he does, he does with the care of handling something fragile, something that can be taken away at a moment. 

They’re still not entirely in the clear. At one point, they do accidentally set a small beaker filled with ethyl alcohol on fire. 

“Mr Argentum. Your Highness.” The teacher walks by right at that moment, of course. “Is everything alright here?”

Shoulders pressed together, flaming beaker hidden behind their backs, they share nervous smiles.

“We’re fine, Miss,” they chorus innocently. She doesn’t notice a thing, and the small fire burns itself out before the smoke detectors can sense it.

Small victories.

The rest of the experiment goes without incident. They end half an hour later than the rest of the class does, and everyone has already gone to lunch. Prompto is exhausted, and he knows he’s heard Noctis’ stomach growling more than once already.

“We got it!” Noctis shouts, holding up their microscope slide. There is a small spot of dark pink on it, where the dye has stained the little droplet of bacteria inside.

“Wait, wait, let me see!” Prompto takes the slide and puts it under the microscope, peering through the lens. The magnified cells are stained a brilliant pink, and Prompto could cry from the relief.

“We did it, Noct!” He throws his arms around his friend and pulls him close.

It’s such a small thing, really. A single successful experiment doesn’t make them good at science, and they have the whole year to go. But Noctis’ heart is pounding fast against Prompto’s chest, and in this one moment he knows he can do anything.

They’re interrupted by a cough, and they pull away so fast Prompto’s head spins with it.

Their teacher, who’s stayed in the room with them the entire time, smiles at them.

“Go,” she says gently. “I’ll clean it up. Well done, both of you.”

Their cheeks go as pink as their bacteria, and they hurry out of the room, just barely remembering to strip off their lab coats and gloves.

They’re not perfect, but maybe they’re on their way.

* * *

  
  


After that, Prompto can’t seem to keep his eyes off of Noctis. There’s an understated elegance to him that he always tries to play down, but Prompto knows better. There will always be something regal about Noctis, even if it’s only in _his_ eyes.

The way he moves confidently around their setup is a far cry from the way he’d done before. He picks up vials and plates and plastic pipettes with the same grace with which he wields his weapons, and Prompto is entranced.

Prompto has seen those hands gripping sword handles and dancing on piano keys. He knows the shape of them when they’re wrapped around a video game controller. An image blooms in his mind of pale, callused fingers twined with his own; he _wants_ that, more than anything he’s wanted in a long time. 

Silently, Noct’s eyes flick over to meet his. Prompto nearly drops the test tube in surprise, but Noctis’ gaze is warm and fond.

“Don’t get distracted, Prom,” he teases.

“No way, dude. I’m all focus here!” 

“Sure.” 

A gentle nudge, shoulder to shoulder, and Prompto feels his face flare with heat. 

“Cute,” Noctis comments, and Prompto _does_ drop the test tube.

Well. At least it had been a few weeks since their last incident, so Prompto thinks it’ll turn out fine anyway.

* * *

  
  


“Hey,” Noctis says.

Prompto stops in the middle of pulling off his lab coat. They’ve just finished the very last practical class of the year, to give them time to study for finals, and it’s left him feeling both relieved and disappointed. 

“What’s up, buddy?” Prompto asks. “You seem kinda tense.”

Noctis smiles, but it’s a small, anxious thing. “You really like science class, right?”

“You calling me a nerd, Caelum?”

Noctis laughs, and the tension eases.

_Profit_. 

“Yeah, maybe I am. Anyway, I saw an ad for this cool event at the science museum. I thought you might wanna go.”

Prompto wriggles out of his lab coat and hangs it on the peg. He’s already bouncing excitedly on his heels. “Yeah! What event is it?”

“It’s, um. It’s a couples only event.”

“Oh.” Prompto scuffs the toe of his shoes against the floor. There’s an interesting stain on the tile, and he keeps his eyes on it. “You wanna be my pretend date?”

A breath, like Noctis is steeling himself for something. “Not pretend.”

Prompto looks up in shock, and Noctis dives forward and kisses him.

The classroom disappears around them. Their teacher’s gasp, their classmates’ raucous yelling, none of it matters next to Noctis’ warm breath and soft lips curved in a smile. Prompto gasps, and Noctis takes the opportunity to playfully swipe his tongue across his teeth and pull back with a cheeky grin.

“About time!” someone shouts, and everyone bursts into laughter.

Prompto is bright red. “I, uh… I guess this means you like me?”

Now it’s Noctis’ turn to be shy. “Um.” 

He looks like he’s going to deny it, but thinks better of it. “Yeah, yeah I do. Do… do you? Like me back, I mean?”

Prompto laughs, launches himself forward, and wraps his arms around Noctis’ neck. Warm hands come down to settle around his waist, and it feels a little bit like coming home.

“I always have,” he says, with a smile brighter than any of the fires they’ve set. “ _Nerd_.”


End file.
